Chookas!

I was at work last night (we had our first preview) and everyone was running around with the normal ritual of saying "chookas".

It suddenly occurred to me, where on earth did this saying come from? We all have theories on "Break a leg" but I've never heard one for "chookas".

Any guesses?

By the way, has anyone heard anyone use "Break a leg" lately? All I've heard for the last few years is "chookas"...

Great question Ali.

All I know is that "break-a-leg" is supposed to be bad luck now so it has been replaced by the bizarre term "chookas". I have been using it since I was a kid doing dancing concerts but I never thought about where it may have come from.

Actually, other theatre superstitions might make for some interesting postings. Anyone got any tid-bits?

Cheers,
Gill

i use it a lot but i have no idea where it came from!

Amanda

I remember the story about why whistling was bad luck back stage. Apparantly that used to be the way you were cued to go on stage, so if anyone whistled backstage when they shouldn't, it then meant that someone ended onstage when they shouldn't.

Or so I've heard.

Could be rubbish.

ah well...

The whistling superstition arose in England in the past few centuries when seaside theatres would employ sailors as stage-hands when they were having shore-leave, due in part to their strength and proficiency with knot-tying. As they were all used to communicating through an intricate series of whistles on ships, in order to drop a sail or rig a mast or whatever, these sailors found that the whistling transferred easily to the theatre, to let each other know when it was time to fly a prop or drop a curtain. This led to all sorts of trouble, however, when people would whistle at the wrong point, or accidentally, and some sailor-techie in the gods would let fly with a heavy (and unexpected) piece of scenery. As a result, whistling in the theatre became taboo, as it might result in someone being bonked on the head!

Sorry to butt in with my version of this tidbit's origin - I just love the history associated with what we do!!

Toby

PS - Of course, there's the other (almost too well known!) theatre superstition - that of the 'Scottish Play'. The story goes that when Shakespeare wrote M***eth, he stole the witches' incantations from real witches -- that the play has been cursed ever since. Hence no one in the theatre utters the "M" word for fear of calamity.

Legend has it that the actor who originally played Lady M was taken so ill on opening night that Shakespeare, himself, had to play the part -- for, in those days, men played all the roles, male and female.

A more likely scenario for Ma***th's (reminds me of a recent PICA show?) curse is the fact that it is Shakespeare's shortest play - as a result of its length and immense popularity, companies would rush their way through productions (featuring more sword play than any other of Shakespeare's) to maximise profit - and we all know that the biggest disasters can occur - such as wayward swords and tumbles from stages - when actors are rushed and not concentrating... There are plenty of theories as to Ma***th's curse - but the above is the most logical that I can think of.

The whistling superstition arose in England in the past few centuries when seaside theatres would employ sailors as stage-hands when they were having shore-leave, due in part to their strength and proficiency with knot-tying. As they were all used to communicating through an intricate series of whistles on ships, in order to drop a sail or rig a mast or whatever, these sailors found that the whistling transferred easily to the theatre, to let each other know when it was time to fly a prop or drop a curtain. This led to all sorts of trouble, however, when people would whistle at the wrong point, or accidentally, and some sailor-techie in the gods would let fly with a heavy (and unexpected) piece of scenery. As a result, whistling in the theatre became taboo, as it might result in someone being bonked on the head!

Sorry to butt in with my version of this tidbit's origin - I just love the history associated with what we do!!

Toby

PS - Of course, there's the other (almost too well known!) theatre superstition - that of the 'Scottish Play'. The story goes that when Shakespeare wrote M***eth, he stole the witches' incantations from real witches -- that the play has been cursed ever since. Hence no one in the theatre utters the "M" word for fear of calamity.

Legend has it that the actor who originally played Lady M was taken so ill on opening night that Shakespeare, himself, had to play the part -- for, in those days, men played all the roles, male and female.

A more likely scenario for Ma***th's (reminds me of a recent PICA show?) curse is the fact that it is Shakespeare's shortest play - as a result of its length and immense popularity, companies would rush their way through productions (featuring more sword play than any other of Shakespeare's) to maximise profit - and we all know that the biggest disasters can occur - such as wayward swords and tumbles from stages - when actors are rushed and not concentrating... There are plenty of theories as to Ma***th's curse - but the above is the most logical that I can think of.

Ooh ooh ooh.

Found some good stuff about 'break a leg'.

I got it at the glossary of theatrical terms - a very useful resource:
http://www.theatrecrafts.com/glossary/morebreakaleg.html

1)
For contemporary English-speaking theater people, the ritual greeting reflects that calamitous 42nd Street production, "Break a leg."

However, the rather terrible curse may have had a more benign origin. Much earlier in stage history, when superstition had a less frightening hold on the craft, actors and their followers used a more gracious greeting: "May you break your leg," by which it was meant that the evening's performance would be of such grandeur that the actor would be obliged to break his leg - that is bend his knee - in a deep bow acknowledging the audience's applause.

2)
Evidently, in the days of early vaudeville, the producers would book more performers than could possibly perform in the given time of the show - since "bad" acts could be pulled before their completion... so, in order to insure that the show didn't start paying people who don't actually perform, there was a general policy that a performer did NOT get paid unless they actually performed on-stage. So the phrase "break a leg" referred to breaking the visual plane of the legs that lined the side of the stage.
i.e. "Hope you break a leg and get on-stage so that you get paid."

3)
Origin: "Break a leg" is sourced in superstition. It is a wish of good luck, but the words wish just the opposite. It was once common for people to believe in Sprites. Sprites are actually spirits or ghosts that were believed to enjoy wreaking havoc and causing trouble.

If the Sprites heard you ask for something, they were reputed to try to make the opposite happen. Telling someone to "break a leg" is an attempt to outsmart the Sprites and in fact make something good happen. Sort of a medieval reverse psychology. Of course it has became a popular wish of luck for theater performers.

4)
In the nineteenth century theatre, when it was the norm for actors like Keen, Tree, and Irving to be actor managers. They would perform a role many times and for many years. When a new actor would take over a particular role that had become closely associated with one of these legendary actors he was told "break the legend". Over time this gradually got changed to "break a leg".

***

The many variations here make it hard to know which might be the proper one - but interesting all the same. Sadly, there is no listing for 'chookas' in this database nor could I find a definition online.

Hope someone can enlighten us!!

Toby

PS - apologies about multiple posts above.

Toby wrote
> A more likely scenario for Ma***th's (reminds me of a recent
> PICA show?) curse is the fact that it is Shakespeare's shortest
> play - as a result of its length and immense popularity...

and still another version of that same story...

The popularity of That Play with audiences is apprarently unquestionable. So much so, that amongst the repertory companies it came to be regarded as a perennial standby. If the current show was doing poorly, or the company was running short of cash then That Play was brought in to bring the punters back again. Legend has it that actors involved in a production running badly would become decidedly concerned at just the mention of That Play, as it probably signalled the demise of their current show.

This possibly goes some way to explain the superstition pertaining to quoting even a part of the play; it might have conveyed to the hapless other actors that rehearsals for That Play were already underway!

Cheers
Grant

Thanks Grant - I knew there was a more convincing explanation to the one I had come up with, but I couldn't quite remember the exact details of that story - one which i am sure you told me yourself when directing me years ago in 'That Play'!!

Cheers
Toby

Not only the seaside theatres. The Theatre Royal in Drury Lane also employed sailors to handle the rigging. This was also why the backstge people were called the crew.
George

And while I was there the crew room was known as the forecastle

As for 'Chookas' - the whole is 'TOI TOI TOI Chookas' there is a poem which goes with it and you place your right hand on your heart three times while saying it as for good luck.

There was something else about turning around three times? - NNo!!....... that is when someone mentions the 'Scotish' play, In order to get the curse off or lifted, you turn around three times and then left the theatre and could not return untill you knocked on the door and wait to be invited back in.

I was told all this so long ago, in a previous life, I have forgotten most of it - However I have heard, from others, that David Meadows might know all about IT?

I just keep on with the superstitions, like a tradition, anyway!!!!

With break a leg - the vaudiville one is the most plauseable -
I was told this, along with a few other things, in the '60s from a vary old thespian, who I believed, because he had over 50 years on me at the time.

Joe

> Joe McCabe wrote:
> -------------------------------
> As for 'Chookas' - the whole is 'TOI TOI TOI Chookas' there is a poem which goes
> with it and you place your right hand on your heart three times while saying it as for
> good luck.

I think you're just trying to make me feel silly...;-)

Another superstition is of dancers spitting on their shoes/the floor before going on stage. This pre-show behaviour has its roots way back before the introduction of tarkett (dance flooring) and rosin - moisture on the soles of leather ballet shoes stopped dancers from slipping on the bare wood stages.

Either that or dancers really are as feral as everyone says they are...:-)

Amanda Chesterton

I think you're just trying to make me feel silly...;-)

Sorry!!!!!

This was not my intention, as most of those who know me find me to be very serious at all times.

"Without our traditions .....we would be like....like a fiddler on the roof"

Once again - sorry Amanda!!!

Joe - {the gaffer of seriousness.}

I've never heard of spitting on shoes, but when I danced, we would either have a wet sponge or a can of hairspray backstage to prevent us falling over.

always learning something,
Rebecca

My wife is a dancer from way back, and she informs me that (in Canada at least!) it is bad luck to say 'break a leg' to dancers, but rather than say 'chookas' (which I first heard in dance circles as a substitute for 'BAL') they would say the French 'merde' which won't translate on this family page - I am not sure if this is primarily a French-Canadian thing, or if it is supposed to have the same effect as 'break a leg' - ie a terrible-sounding thing to encourage a good show (I hope you have a merde show!!) - but then again she could just be yanking my chain!!

Amanda - as a dancer, have you heard of this one? Anyone?

T

Nor do I know where Chookas came from.....however my mother has always said it is bad luck to have Fresh Flowers backstage...has anyone heard of this of know where it came from ???

And another question....why isnt you just cant say 'Good Luck' ??

- Sky

This was so funny to read, but yeah, is the theater industry riddle with superstitions or what? I have to plead clueless on the whole Chookas thing, - fun word though. But over the years some of the people I have worked with, and how paranoid they are is laughable.
But like the whistling backstage, know I understand when that was a cue, they didn't like it. But I'm yet to venture into a theater that uses that, now aday.
The really bizarre one, not to mention unhygienic was the putting shoes on the dressing table back stage. And the many remedies to lift the curse of the Scottish Play, they seem very varied. But that one scares me.
Anyone else know of any other, would love to hear about them.

Come on we say - good luck - it wouldn't be theatre.
Fresh flowers why not - most dressing rooms. i have seen, were full of them especialy opening night.
But, as for peacock feathers - that's another story!

Joe

are you sure it wasn't dried flowers that are bad luck backstage? coz dried flowers are apparently bad feng shui, the same with the peacock feathers.

Not sure about the flowers bit - but one reason to not have peacock feathers is because of the evil eye at the end - this was a Greek giant evil bird with a hundred/thousand/lot's of eyes that the God's transformed into the eye at the end of each peacock feather.
Hence, I suppose, the 'Evil Eye'.

Joe

I seem to remember something about it.........
Chookas - "May you play to a full house"
........memory "ain't what it used to be", but the pills help!

Joe

This Chookas business is very perplexing ;it must have some logical origin,we just can't pin it dowm;so here's my theory.
It's along the lines of "If I tell you your'e good will that help you to produce the goods"?So my suggestion is that CHOOKAS is an acronym for;"CAN HEAPS OF OVATIONS KINDLE ACTING SKILLS?"
Having read this please press the delete
button in your head,& resume normal services.
I will attempt to do the same.
Peter.